Patricia Oelwein, a consultant in private practice, worked at the University of Washington in the Down Syndrome Programs at the Center on Human Development and Disabilities for twenty-five years. The positions she held in the program include teacher in demonstration classrooms, coordinator, and outreach trainer. She has provided specialized training for teaching children with Down syndrome and other developmental delays throughout the United States and in fourteen other countries spanning six continents.

Ms. Oelwein has published research articles and instructional materials, edited Advances in Down Syndrome with Valentine Dmitriev, and Al Nahda Functional Assessment with Applied Academics, and with Leslie Broun, Literacy Skill Development for Students with Special Learning Needs.

Since 1991 she has been consultant to the Al Nahda Model Schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a project that is currently establishing training/demonstration schools throughout the country.

Reading is an essential, enriching, and attainable skill for children with Down syndrome. This guide presents a nationally recognized reading program for children with Down syndrome that can be used to effectively meet a child's unique learning needs and style.

The reading method and lessons presented here are specifically designed to be motivating, fun, and rewarding. Filled with sample flash cards, games, charts, and recommended story books, the program emphasizes the visual learning style typical of most children with Down syndrome. Parents can customize lessons to capture their child's interests and set the learning pace to a level for greatest success.

This step-by-step guide to reading allows parents to work with their child at home and helps them coordiate reading lessons with teachers, ensuring the continuity of their child's education year after year.